Cigarette wrapping machine



CIGARETTE WRAPPING MACHINE 2 Sheeits-Sheef 1 Filed June 6,

C IGARETTE WRAPPING MACHINE i e June 6, 1955 2 fillee'ts shee'l;

ill

ll atenteol pr. 9 l

@IGARlE'lP'llE WRAPPING MACHllNlE Alfred German Rose, Gainsborough,England, assignor to lltose Brothers (Gainsborough), Limited,Gainsborough, England, a British Application June 6, 1935, Serial No.25,219 lln Great Britain llllarch 6, 1934 7 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for wrapping batches of cigarettes orother rod shaped articles in a wrapper. Each of the batches comprisestwo or more contiguous rows of cigarettes and forms a rectangular blockof articles. Normally the rows contain equal numbers of articles. Theobject of this invention is to produce a packet in which the numbers ofarticles in the rows are not the same.

According to the present invention a method of wrapping cigarettes orother rod shaped articles comprises the steps of arranging the articlesin two or more contiguous rows containing unequal numbers of articlesand with the articles in the numerically superior row or rows touching,so spacing the articles in each numerically inferior row apart that theoverall length of that row (measured transversely to the length of thearticle) is equal to the overall length of the numerically superior rowor rows, to form a rectangular block of articles, and. folding a wrapperabout the said block.

In a preferred method of wrapping cigarettes or other rod shapedarticles, the articles are arranged in two or more contiguous rowscontaining equal numbers of contiguous articles and forming. arectangular block, some only of the articles are fed in the direction oftheir length as a block which includes. at least one complete row andthe end articles in each other row, the articles in the block thus fedare maintained in their original relative position during the feedingmovement and the block thus fed is enclosed in a wrapper during thefeeding movement.

A feature of this invention is that the block of articles is moved inthe direction of the length of an article against a wrapper and thenbetween two members which fold the wrapper against the sides of theblock that are parallel to the planes of the rows and also exert apressure transversely on said planes to prevent accidental displacementof the articles during further wrapping operations.

The invention also provides, as an article of manufacture, a rectangularblock shaped sealed packet which contains a plurality of cigarettes orother rod shaped articles arranged in rows containing unequal numbers ofarticles and in which there is a gap in each numerically inferior row ofsuch width that the overall length of the row is equal to that of eachnumerically superior row.

According to a further feature of this invention, a wrapping machine forenclosing a plurality of cigarettes or other rod shaped articles in awrapper, comprises a channel arranged to re ceive a batch of thearticles in two or more rows, means for feeding the articles endwisealong the channel against a wrapper, folding devices for folding thewrapper about the articles and a spacing bar supported in the plane ofone row of articles parallel to the length of the articles and of suchwidth as to replace one or more articles in that row. In a constructionaccording to this invention, there is provided means for delivering,into the channel on the side of the spacing bar remote from the wrapper,a batch of articles arranged in rows containing equal numbers ofarticles and a feeding member movable along the channel and arranged toengage all the articles except those in alignment with the spacing barand to feed them along the channel.

A wrapping machine in accordance with the present invention will now bedescribed by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawingsin which:--

Figure 1 shows, in side elevation, a part of a wrapping machine. Oneside frame of the machine has been removed to show its construction.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 shows a feeding plunger employed in the machine,

Figure 5 shows a packet produced by the machine and Figure 6 shows apacket with part of the wrapper removed.

The machine shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to form apacket containing nine cigarettes, but the mechanism can be modified toproduce packets containing other numbers of cigarettes.

The cigarettes are placed in a hopper Ill and the lowermost cigarettesdescend through passages formed by partitions l l in the bottom of thehopper into a channel I2. The channel i2 is of such width and heightthat it can receive ten cigarettes arranged in two rows of five each.

The middle cigarette in the uppermost row is masked by two similardepending portions l3 (of which one is shown in Figure 2) from the rightand left hand (Figure 1) end walls of the hopper. Consequently thisparticular cigarette cannot be fed along the channel but the remainingnine cigarettes can be fed along the channel by means of a pushingmember It (Figures l and 4:). This member is formed with a slot t l-a sothat it can pass by the masks i3 and the masked cigarette and serves tofeed the nine cigarettes to the left. The member M is secured to a slidel6 which slides in guide rails I! (Figures 1 and 2). The slide I6 isconnected by a link 58 (Figure l) to the end of a lever [B pivoted at2B. A block 25 engages a slot 22 in the lever and is carried by aconstantly rotating crank 23.

As the crank rotates the lever 19 is oscillated and reciprocates theslide it and the pushing member M.

The pushing member M feeds a batch of nine cigarettes along the channell2 underneath an inverted channel-shaped member 24 (see Figure 3) whichforms a continuation of the channel l2. A spacing bar 25 is formedintegrally with the member 2 1 and is of such width that it occupies thespace of one cigarette in the upper row. The four cigarettes in theupper row thus occupy the same relative position as they did when theylay in the channel i2. It will be seen from Figure 3 that the ninecigarettes still form a rectangular block.

A wrapper W is fed by any convenient means not shown across the lefthand end (Figure 1) of the channel member 24. The means for feeding theend of a web of wrapping material from a roll to the position of Figurel and then severing it may be arranged as shown in Armstrong, UnitedStates Patent No. 1,244,277. The pusher M feeds the batch of ninecigarettes through the channel member 2 3 against the wrapper W and thenbetween the upper and lower folding plates 25 and 21 which fold thewrapper over against the two parallel surfaces of the batch ofcigarettes that are parallel to the planes of the rows of thecigarettes. A pair of front end tuckers 28 (one of which is shown inFigure 1) fold in front end tucks in a usual manner. As the batch ofcigarettes moves further to the left, a pair of b-ottom-side-flapfolders 29 fold up bottom-sideflaps of the package. Later a pair oftop-sideflap folders 38 fold down top-side-flaps of the package. Thisfolding mechanism is of conventional construction and need not bedescribed in more detail. t should be mentioned that adhesive is appliedto the wrapper in a known manner and serves to seal the packet.

The nine cigarettes in a batch are maintained in the relative positionshown in Figure 3 while the wrapper W is being folded about it by theplates 26 and 2'! owing to the action of the spacing bar 25. The plates26 and 2'! are so spaced that they exert pressure on the cigarettes soas to maintain them in position while the top and bottom side-flaps arebeing folded.

Finally the pusher M feeds the partly completed packet to the bottom ofa transfer tunnel 3!. In this position mechanism of any con venientconstruction completes the folding of the rearwardly extending flaps ofthe package in a known manner and the completed package is raised intothe channel l3 in the usual manner and held up therein until theadhesive used to secure the flaps has dried. The means for performingthese operations may be as described in the Armstrong patent previouslyreferred to.

Figure shows the package produced by the machine. It will be seen thatit is rectangular. As shown in Figure 6 there is a gap in the upper rowof cigarettes which is thus the same overall length as the lower row ofcigarettes so that the two rows form a rectangular block.

It will be appreciated that the mechanism can be modified to pack thecigarettes in more than two rows or with a gap of more than onecigarette in one row. Thus, for example, the mechanism can be modifiedto form packages containing only eight cigarettes by increasing thewidth of the masks l3 to cover the cigarettes and increasing the widthof the spacing bar I4 correspondingly.

I claim:

1. A method of wrapping cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles, whichcomprises the steps of arranging the articles in a plurality ofcontiguous rows containing unequal numbers of articles and with thearticles in each numerically superior row touching, whereby the articlesare so arranged that the lines joining the axes of adjacent articles inadjoining rows are perpendicular to the line joining the axes of thearticles in each row, so spacing the articles in each numerciallyinferior row apart that the overall length of that row (measuredtransversely of the length of the articles) is equal to the overalllength of a numerically superior row, to form a rectangular block ofarticles, and folding a wrapper about said block.

2. A method of wrapping cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles, whichcomprises the steps of arranging the articles in a plurality ofcontiguous rows containing equal numbers of contiguous articles andforming a rectangular block, the articles being so arranged that thelines joining the axes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows areperpendicular to the line joining the axes of the articles in each row,feeding some only of the articles in the direction of their length as ablock which includes at least one complete row and the end articles ineach other row maintaining the articles in the block thus fed in theiroriginal relative position during the feeding movement, and enclosingthem in a wrapper during the feeding movement.

3. A wrapping machine for enclosing a plurality of cigarettes or otherrod-shaped articles in a wrapper, comprising a channel, means fordelivering a batch of cigarettes arranged in a plurality of rows intothe channel, the articles being so arranged that the lines joining. theaxes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows are perpendicular to theline joining the axes of the articles in each row, a spacing barsupported in the plane of one row of articles parallel to the length ofthe articles and of such width as to replace at least one article inthat row intermediate the ends thereof, means for feeding the articlesendwise along the channel against a wrapper and folding devices forfolding the wrapper about the articles.

4. A wrapping machine for enclosing a plurality of cigarettes or otherrod-shaped articles in a wrapper, comprising a channel, means fordelivering a batch of articles arranged in rows containing equal numbersof articles into the channel, so that the lines joining the axes ofadjacent articles in adjoining rows are perpendicular to the linejoining the axes of the articles in each row, means for moving thearticles endwise along the channel against a wrapper, a spacing barsecured in the channel in the path of at least one of the articlesintermediate the ends of the row, and of the same width as that articlewhereby a row will be formed with one more or less articles therein butwith the same overall dimensions, and folding devices for folding thewrapper about the articles as they move along the channel.

5. A wrapping machine for enclosing a plurality of cigarettes or otherrod-shaped articles in a wrapper, comprising wrapping means, a channel,a hopper arranged over the channel and having an opening through which abatch of cigarettes arranged in a plurality of rows can descend into thechannel, the articles in each row being so arranged that the linesjoining the axes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows areperpendicular to the line joining the axes of the articles in each row,a feeding member movable along the channel and arranged to engage all ofthe articles in at least one row and the end articles in another row andmove them endwise along the channel directly to the wrapping means, aspacing bar fixed in the channel in alignment with the article that isnot engaged by the feeding member and which is of such dimensions as toreplace the said article in the batch of articles and folding devicesfor folding the wrapper about the articles as they move along thechannel.

6. A wrapping machine for enclosing a plurality of cigarettes or otherrod-shaped articles in a wrapper, comprising a channel, means fordelivering a batch of articles, arranged in a plurality of rows into thechannel, the articles in each row being so arranged that the linesjoining the axes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows areperpendicular to the line joining the axes of the articles in each row,means for feeding the articles endwise along the channel against awrapper, a spacing bar fixed in the channel and adapted to replace anarticle in one of the rows intermediate the ends thereof, a pair offolding members between which the articles and a wrapper are fed and.which fold the wrapper against opposite sides of the batch of articlesthat are parallel to the plane of the rows and which are so spaced apartas to apply pressure to the batch transversely of said rows and otherfolding devices for folding the wrapper against the remaining sides ofthe batch while the latter is subjected to the said pressure.

'7. A wrapping machine for enclosing a plura1- ity of cigarettes orother rod-shaped articles in a wrapper, comprising means for arrangingthe articles in a plurality of contiguous rows containing equal numbersof articles so as to form a rectangular block, the lines joining theaxes of adjacent articles in adjoining rows being perpendicular to thelong dimension of the end of the package, means for feeding some only ofthe articles in the direction of their length as a block which includesat least one complete row and the end articles in each other row, meansfor maintaining the articles in the block thus fed in their originalrelative positions during the feeding movement, and means for applying awrapper to the block of articles during the feeding movement.

ALFRED GERMAN ROSE.

